Ares's memories played through his mind like short videos, and he tirelessly reviewed his previous battles.
From his fight with the fish-man to his battle against Marine Vice Admiral Garp, he carefully observed every detail, trying to understand and ponder it.
Read a book a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.
Ares had yet to review it a hundred times. Repeatedly watching it in slow motion took even longer than the battle itself—much longer.
He also had to constantly combine it with his own insights and experience it for himself.
It took a very long time.
But the gains were enormous!
From Gai Ram, he had grasped the role air played in attacks.
Earlier, he had also comprehended "explosive power" from Marine Vice Admiral Garp, giving Ares a much deeper understanding of Body Arts and swordsmanship.
Many things he had previously failed to understand or found puzzling suddenly became clear.
Perhaps because he had merged with "part" of the soul, the images in Ares's mind were clearer, his sensations more vivid, and his observations more precise.
In his mind, he repeatedly watched footage of Marine Vice Admiral Garp fighting, learning how to control and use the "explosive power" within his body!
What Marine Vice Admiral Garp did not know was that Ares had already been secretly learning his combat techniques without realizing it.
His progress was rapid!
About one or two hours later.
The door opened, and Ochoku, having removed his golden armor, walked in.
He casually went over to a netted hammock near Ares, sat down, and looked at him as he earnestly instructed, "Ares, Captain Rocks was right. Battle can indeed temper a person."
"But you must understand that if you die in battle, your dreams will disappear and be shattered along with you."
Ochoku knew that Ares had immense potential. Precisely because his potential and talent were at a monstrous level, he stood apart from the other pirates.
He patiently instructed Ares.
He hoped even more that Ares could go farther on the path of pursuing his dreams, perhaps even accomplishing the impossible dream that ordinary people could never imagine.
Ochoku felt that Ares was different from everyone else. With a hint of emotion, he said, "The pirates I've met so far are all the same. Pirates addicted to alcohol, pirates obsessed with women, pirates intoxicated by gold, pirates who love slaughter..."
"There are also a very small number of pirates who pursue strength, pirates who pursue dreams, and pirates who pursue ambition."
"Perhaps pirates can't survive without becoming intoxicated by something..."
"They probably wouldn't be able to go on living."
"Even the powerful Captain Rocks is no exception."
An ordinary life had already slipped away the moment they became pirates. There was no turning back.
"I understand." Ares looked at Ochoku.
He then asked, "Ochoku, the doctor said the injuries on my body will take several days, perhaps even ten or twenty days, to recover. Do you have any way to help my body recover sooner?"
As he replayed his memories of the battle, the scenes made him want to train immediately.
He was eager to test the new things he had learned in battle.
Ochoku smiled and consoled him, "Wait until we return to Hachinosu Island. When we get there, you can look for Captain John. Don't be fooled by how that fellow drinks all day, everywhere he goes."
"His medical skills are the best in the Rocks Pirates. He should have a way to help you recover quickly."
At the mention of his injuries, Ochoku looked at Ares with some admiration and praised him, "You really held out against Garp for that long. You took so many of Garp's punches and still came away with no serious injuries."
"That's more than enough to be proud of."
Marine Vice Admiral Garp had made a name for himself across the seas with his powerful "Iron Fist," becoming the nightmare of countless pirates.
How many pirates feared those fearsome, iron-hard fists of Garp's?
And...
This brat Ares had taken so many hits and still suffered no serious injuries. He could brag about it throughout the Rocks Pirates for quite some time.
"It's not enough. Sooner or later, my fists will definitely surpass his!" Ares was dissatisfied with that result. A loss was a loss.
As long as he trained hard and diligently, he could defeat his opponent the next time!
He also firmly believed that his fists would one day be more powerful than Garp's!
Ochoku merely smiled without comment. Rather than discourage Ares, he encouraged him, "Then train hard once your injuries have healed."
"I'm heading out first. Stay in the room and recuperate properly. Follow the ship's doctor's instructions in everything."
After showing his concern, he left the room.
With nothing else to do, even Ares, whose entire body itched to train, could only continue activating the replay function in his mind and study the footage.
Without a mast, the pirate ship, powered by its sails, moved very slowly across the sea.
Fortunately, Marine Vice Admiral Garp did not pursue them, perhaps because he was chasing the Byrnndi World Pirates.
Sunset, then sunrise!
After repeating that cycle twice, two days had already passed.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the office of Fleet Admiral Kong, located on the highest floor of the fortress's central tower.
A group of high-ranking Marine officers had gathered there.
Fleet Admiral Kong tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk. As he listened to the field officer under Garp report, his expression gradually became solemn and grave.
Only after the field officer finished reporting did he finally speak, his voice low and heavy. "This isn't good news. It seems another monster has appeared among the Rocks Pirates."
To have held out against Garp for so long, that level of combat power was something the Marines could not ignore or take lightly.
Moreover...
They had previously received a secret report from Hachinosu Island that a newcomer had appeared among the Rocks Pirates. The newcomer had caused a huge commotion with Golden Lion on the island before Whitebeard ultimately intervened to stop them.
That person was none other than—Ares!
Fleet Admiral Kong's dignified eyes swept over the other officers in the room, automatically ignoring Garp, who was picking his nose, before settling on Marine Admiral Sengoku.
He asked, "What do you think about Ares, the newcomer to the Rocks Pirates?"
Sitting on the sofa in a black suit and draped in a justice cloak, Sengoku's expression tightened. After pondering for a moment, he offered his assessment. "According to the intelligence, this newcomer is quite young and possesses tremendous potential."
"Someone who could be personally selected by Rocks and promoted to a full crew member despite the usual rules cannot be simple. Even the newcomer Kaido was not granted such an honor. This fellow will probably become another powerful officer of the Rocks Pirates in the future."
Sengoku knew Marine Vice Admiral Garp's strength very well. Although he believed Garp might have held back, Ares's combat power was beyond doubt.
His powerful, durable physique and tenacious will both indicated that, once this fellow matured, he would become another extremely powerful and terrifying pirate.
Moreover, under the protection of the Rocks Pirates...
The potential threat posed by the newcomer Ares would truly be difficult to deal with.
A hint of worry appeared on Sengoku's resolute face.
Fleet Admiral Kong also sighed. "The Rocks Pirates have now become the most powerful pirate crew on these seas. Aside from Rocks, they possess powerful officers such as Captain John, Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and many others."
"They have countless pirates under their command. They have already become... difficult to deal with."
"Now they have gained several more newcomers with immense potential. What a headache!"
The Marines had invested tremendous effort into gathering intelligence on the Rocks Pirates. After all, every move made by the Rocks Pirates could send ripples across the entire sea.
Although the Marine organization had many members and no shortage of powerful fighters, the manpower, warships, and other resources needed to deal with the Rocks Pirates were unimaginable.
War was not decided by numbers alone. Even with two or three times as many soldiers as the enemy, no one could claim victory was certain.
Heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human unity were all indispensable.
A single disturbance could affect the whole situation. The Rocks Pirates were a "super pirate crew" without precedent!
No pirate crew this powerful had ever appeared in history.
It placed enormous pressure on Fleet Admiral Kong, weighing so heavily on him that he felt somewhat suffocated.
Garp munched noisily on donuts. Hearing the concerns of Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku, he stood up and said, "I'm going to train. It seems my fists still aren't strong enough!"
"This time, I'll use two mountains as practice targets and make my fists even stronger!"
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